Day Trips to Chichen Itza from Cancun

Among the many activities to see and do in Cancun, one of the most interesting is to discover Chichen Itza, the main archaeological site of the Yucatan Peninsula and one of the most important sacred spaces of the Mayan Culture with its more than 1500 years of history.

Chichen Itza, which during the height of the Mayan civilisation was a city or a ceremonial centre, houses in its interior the El Castillo, which is the most famous Mayan temple, the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote, which is 60 metres in diameter and has vertical walls of more than fifteen metres.

Chichen Itza is not only the most recognised archaeological site of the Mayan civilisation in the world, but also a space considered sacred and one of the most interesting excursions to do from Cancun.

On these excursions you can discover the ancient monuments that have been standing for more than 1500 years and that amazed the Spanish conquistadors when they colonised the city in the 16th century, including the Pyramid of Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo.

This type of day trip also includes a swim in the waters of the Saamal Cenote, or Sacred Cenote, which is located near Chichen Itza, and a tour of the majestic city of Valladolid, characterised by its temples and warrior past.

Today it is one of the most famous colonial cities in Yucatan and the oldest in Quintana Roo.

On these excursions, which usually include hotel pick-up, you will also have time to shop for gifts in the gift shops and a buffet lunch is included. The transfer is by bus and the duration of the tour including return to Cancun is about twelve hours.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... Starts from 69 euros per person, including return transfers, entrance fees to the attractions, expert local guide and lunch.
• Duration of tour... Approximately 12 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... In a one day tour you will get to know Chichen Itza and the most famous cenote in depth.

On this complete tour you can visit in one day the archaeological site of Chichen Itza and one of the most spectacular amusement parks in Mexico.

Besides visiting the most famous Mayan city, which is considered one of the seven new wonders of the modern world, you can visit Xcaret, a park with more than forty water activities, natural attractions, cultural shows and an impressive coral reef that will leave you open-mouthed.

If you prefer to take a trip to Xcaret from Cancun on another day, you can exchange this visit for the entrance to Xel-Ha or Xplor.

Xel-Ha is considered the largest natural aquarium in the world, with hundreds of species of tropical fish and more than ninety marine species.

Xplor, which can also be reached by excursions from Cancun, is an adventure park where you can zip-line and swim in the waters of the cenotes or throw yourself off the hanging bridges.

In any case, on this type of excursion you can visit Chichen Itza and the Pyramid of Kukulkan: and, at the time of booking, choose one of the three proposed parks.

These tours usually include buffet lunch with unlimited soft drinks, round trip transportation from Cancun with hotel pick up and entrance fees to the attractions.

The best thing about this tour is that you could choose to do them on different days as long as you don't spend more than 15 days between the two tours.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... Starts from 120 euros per person, including return transfers, entrance fees to Chichen Itza and one of the parks and lunch with unlimited soft drinks.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 12 hours if you decide to do both tours on the same day.
• Advantages of this tour... This is an interesting option if you want to visit Chichen Itza and one of the parks because you can save money by booking both together.

This type of excursion offers the most complete option to visit two of the most impressive archaeological sites of the Mayan culture.

In a two-day tour you can visit the city and ceremonial centre of Chichen Itza with all its temples and ancient monuments and the Ruins of Tulum, the walled city of the Mayan culture located in Quintana Roo and bathed by the Caribbean Sea.

Although you can book the tour to Chichen Itza and the excursion to the Tulum Ruins from Cancun separately, the best thing about combining both attractions is that it will save you time and money.

The tour takes place in a bus that will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in Cancun. The price of the tour includes lunch on the first day.

Visiting Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins is one of the most effective ways to get the most out of your visit to Mexico. This way you will realise that Quintana Roo has much more to offer than the best beaches of Cancun.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... Starts from 136 euros per person, including return transfers, entrance fees to Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins and lunch on the first day.
• Duration of the tour... The tour is a two-day tour, with twelve hours of sightseeing in each day.
• Advantages of this tour... It is the most complete way to visit the two most famous archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization.

If you are travelling in a group, the ideal option to travel to Chichen Itza from Cancun is in a private van tour.

There you will see the most important archaeological site of the Mayan civilisation, El Castillo, the temples and the ball court.

Private tours usually also include lunch with soft drinks and entrance fees to the excursions.

These types of tours usually also include a visit to the Sacred Cenote, with free time for swimming in the crystal clear waters, and a visit to Valladolid, the oldest city in Quintana Roo and the second most important city in Merida.

This city stands out for its large temples and its indigenous reminiscences, as Valladolid was a warrior city, so it pays homage to the indigenous uprisings.

This tour includes hotel pick-up from Cancun and lasts approximately eight hours. It does not include an expert local guide but it is possible to hire a guided tour at the entrance of Chichen Itza.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 180 euros per person for a private van with driver for four people, including entrance fees to the attractions and hotel pick-up.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 8 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... If you are travelling in a group it is the most comfortable way to travel and save time.

You can book an excursion to Chichen Itza from Cancun online or you can also buy it from a local tour service provider once you arrive in the city.

Keep in mind that the latter option is not the most advisable, as online booking offers cancellation guarantees and provides you with important information about the service provider.

Keep in mind that in Mexico there are many independent service providers who may promise certain conditions in order to convince you to hire them and then not fulfil them, such as that the entrance fees to Chichen Itza or the Sacred Cenote are included in the price when this may not be the case.

Also remember that Cancun's tourist flow is very high all year round but especially in certain months. If you are travelling to Cancun in January, it is best to book your tour in advance as visits to Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins tend to sell out quickly.

The answer will depend on the type of tour you choose, but on average they last between eight and twelve hours.

Those tours that last two days, such as the Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins excursions, include a return to the hotel overnight on the first day and an early morning pick-up the next day.

It also depends on the sites included in the excursion, in addition to Chichen Itza. By bus from Cancun to the archaeological site the trip takes about two hours and usually three hours for the tour of the temples and pyramids.

To this must be added two hours in the Sacred Cenote, in the case of those tours that include it, and the visit to Valladolid.

In any of these excursions you will visit Chichen Itza, which is the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilizations and also along with other attractions such as Machu Picchu and the Roman Colosseum, one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Afterwards, depending on the excursion, you will be able to live other experiences, such as visiting the cenotes in the area. Here is what you will find in each of them:

• Chichén Itzá: It is the main attraction of the tour, the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan culture and also the seat of historical monuments such as El Castillo, the ball court, the temples and magical spaces such as the Sacred Cenote. The city is well preserved and is more than 1500 years old.
• Sacred Cenote: Also called Cenote Saamal, it is located very close to Chichen Itza and is a cenote of crystalline water of 60 metres in diameter and walls fifteen metres high. It is one of the most recommended natural experiences in Mexico and adds to the fame of Chichen Itza as a city of sorcerers.
• Ruins of Tulúm: It is another famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilisation and the most visited in the world, only behind Chichén Itzá. This walled city post-dates the Pyramid of Kukulkan and therefore has more complex architectural buildings. Its cliff-top location overlooking the Caribbean Sea gives the city one of the most spectacular landscapes in Quintana Roo.
• Valladolid: It is the oldest city of Quintana Roo and the second most important of Merida. Its colonial constructions, its chapels and its monuments that pay homage to the indigenous uprisings make it a very peculiar city. There is also an exquisite gastronomy in Valladolid.
• Xcaret: It is the most famous amusement park in Mexico and has more than forty aquatic attractions and a coral reef that will leave you in awe. In the excursions that include it, you can also choose to visit the Xel-Ha and Xplor parks.

Chichen Itza is one of the most interesting attractions in Quintana Roo and all of Mexico and part of the history of the original Mayan culture.

Being located in a space of great dimensions and being a tour that can be exhausting, it is ideal that you wear comfortable shoes and bring water to hydrate yourself, especially if you visit Cancun in June, which is the hottest month.

I also recommend that if you are travelling to Cancun in high season, book your excursion to Chichen Itza in advance, as it is one of the most popular tours among tourists. If you book online, you will be able to secure a cancellation insurance and you will know details about the service provider.

The answer depends on the type of tour you book, but the cheapest, which are the excursions to Chichen Itza from Cancun by bus, start at 69 euros. These excursions include a visit to the Sacred Cenote.

The most expensive are those that include, in addition to the entrance to Chichen Itza, the entrance to Xcaret or any of the other two parks, and those in private vans, although this will depend on the size of the group you are travelling with.

A very good value for money option is the excursion that includes, in addition to Chichen Itza, the archaeological site of the Tulum Ruins. This is one of the best activities to do from Cancun.

Because it is a historic site, revered worldwide as the most recognized seat of the Mayan civilization and one of the new seven wonders of the modern world.

If you are visiting Cancun you won't want to miss out on a millenary site that is also aesthetically very beautiful and very interesting. That's why I recommend that you don't miss the Tulum Ruins if you have the chance.

Another reason to visit Chichen Itza is that depending on the excursion you choose, you will be able to visit the cenotes, which are one of the most interesting natural wonders of Mexico, and the city of Valladolid.

If you book a guided tour to Chichen Itza you can, depending on the tour, have the assistance of an expert local guide.

A guided tour is the best way to get the most out of your visit to the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilisation, otherwise you will miss out on its best stories and you will not get to know it in its entirety due to its size.

A guided tour is also a good excuse to visit other nearby sites, such as the Sacred Cenote and Valladolid, or to include a fun activity such as a visit to Xcaret to your visit to Chichen Itza.